Seven-month developmental outcomes of very low birth weight infants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of delayed versus immediate cord clamping.

Objective: The results from our previous trial revealed that infants with delayed cord clamping (DCC) had significantly lesser intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) than infants with immediate cord clamping (ICC). A priori, we hypothesized that infants with DCC would have better motor function by 7 months corrected age.

Methods: Infants between 24 and 31 weeks were randomized to ICC or DCC and follow-up evaluation was completed at 7 months corrected age.

Results: We found no differences in the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) scores between the DCC and ICC groups. However, a regression model of effects of DCC on motor scores controlling for gestational age, IVH, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis and male gender suggested higher motor scores of male infants with DCC.

Conclusions: DCC at birth seems to be protective of very low birth weight male infants against motor disability at 7 months corrected age.